Railway braking apparatus



June 17,11930. wgfc. Mmmm-agrar 764,804' j RAILWAY BRAKINGfAEMRATUs Patented June 17, 193@ UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE WILLIAM o. MQWHIRTER ANn HAROLD s. Looivrrs, oF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA AssIGNoRs 'ro 'man UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, or? sWIssnrALn,A PENN- SYLVANIA, A ooRroRATIoN or PENNSYLVANIA RAILWAY BRAKING APPARATUS Application iled May 20, 1926. Serial No.`110,365.

Our invention relates to: railway braking apparatus, and particularly to apparatus ysecured to the trackway and adapted to eX- ert a' braking action upon the wheels of a railway vehicle.

W'c Will describe one form of apparatus embodying our invention, and will then point out the novel features thereot in claims. i

The accompanying drawing is a view sho-wing one torni ot apparatus embodying our invention.

Referring to the drawing, reference characters 1 and l designate the track rails of a railway track, supported on cross ties 2 in the usual rfi-aimer.l

Each of the rails is provided with braking apparatus comprising a pair of longitudinally extending members 3 and a located on opposite sides of the rail. Brake bars 3 and 4a are connected with members 3 and 4, respectively, and may be moved closer to the rails 1 and 1n when a braking action is desired. Coil Lsprings 5 are held in position between members 3 and 4f and the associated brake bars 3 and et by stay bolts 6, and serve to Vlimit the mechanical pressure oi the brakes against the wheels to that which the springs transmit.

Means are provided `for moving the brake bars toward and away from the associated rails. This means is shown as a plurality of drive rods 7 rigidly connected to members 3 and other drive rods 8 rigidly connected tomembers 4l. Drive rods 7 and 8 are pivotally connected' at their operating ends to bell cranks 9 and 10 respectively, and these bell cranks are in turn pivotally mounted ona fulcrum bar 13, this bar being rigidly secured to the ties oi` the trackway. Motion is transmitted to bell cranks 9 and 10 through driving bars 11 and 12. Driving bar 12 is connected tov a lever 27 at a point 19; driving bar 11 is connected to a lever 14 at pivot 15. Levers ltand 27 are 'fulcrumed at points 16 and 2O on a floating fulcrum bar 21 which carries a turn-buckle 22 for adjusting the throw of the brake bars to compensate for wearing down oi the brake shoes.

Driving bars 11 and 12 carry, in addition tothe bell cranks S) and 10, bell cranks 32 and 331 which are pivotally connected thereto at points 39 and d0. Bell cranks. 32 and 323 are also pivoted on stationary fulcrum bar-13 at points l1 and l2.` The short arms or cranks 32 and 83, are connected at pivots and 3GA by a loosely mounted link 34,V the parts 32, 33 andi-la together forming a lazy jack or lazy jack coniipensatorfo'r transmitting the braking thrust from driving bar l2 to driving bar 11 and thence -to the brake bars without placing an appreciable stress yupon the motor device.

Braking force is supplied to lever 27 by means of a Huid pressure motor, consisting of a cylinder 24, containing a piston 24 connected to a piston rod 23. Piston rod 23 transmits energy to lever 27 through pivot connection 17, the operating fluid being supplied to the piston through a pipe 37 01H58 one or the other of which is connected at times to a suitable source of fluid pressure. rl`hercylinder 2 4 is secured to` a iiange on a bar 28 by means et bolts 29 and 3.0. AThe bar 28 is secured to the cross ties 2 by means of members 31 which are lirmly bolted to the ties. The cross ties to which supporting members 31. are secured are shown in the drawing as extending transversely Vbeyond the other tics oi the trac-kway to furnish a simple and convenient means of support for the motor.

t will be observed that the lever 14 is pivoted at point 18 to a link 25 which is, 1

in turn, pivoted to cylinder 24 at point 26. This structure furnishes securing means for the left hand end of iioatin'g tulcrumbar 21 but our arrangement of the lazy jack and floating iulcrum bar enables us to dispense with a heavy anchorage for the operating cylinder and other means for receiving the thrust oi.l the operating mechanism,

The mode oiE operation of our device will be explained on the assumption that the piston in cylinder 2e isat the left hand end ot its stroke and that brake bars 3?* and it are in their retracted position, away fromthe associated rails, as shown in the drawing.

rlhe direction ot movement ot the parts is shown by the arrows.

lVhen Vfluid pressure is supplied to cylinder 2a through inlet pipe 37, pivot 17 will move to the right (as viewed in the dr wing) and point 19 will move to the left, the lever 2'? being tulcrumed about pivot 20.

Driving bar ,l2 will move to the lett, turning the associated bell cranks 9 `and l() about their pivots on 'fulcrum bar 13. Driving rod 7 will be actuated to force brake bars 3a, 3 toward therails l and la respectively, brake bars a, 4ta being simultaneously pulled toward their respective rails by rods 8. t will thus be seen that the brake bars 3a and et for each rail will be forced closer together and will engage the wheels of a vehicle occupying the trackway. Driving bar 12 in its movement to the lett will turn-the bell crank about its pivot so as to transmit torce through link 34 and bell crank 32 to the drivingA bar l1, urging driving bar 11 toward the right. The motion of lever 27 Will also apply a direct pull on lever 11i, through the floating ulcrum bar 2l, tend- Vingto rotate lever lll about pivot 18. But

pivot 18 is connected with the cylinder 24 and it will therefore be plain that the entire thrust of the motor device is applied to the brake operatingl mechanism. The bar ll in 'moving to the right will` actuated the associate bell cranks 9 and 10 andv hence operate the brake bars 3? and da to the lett of the lazy jack mechanism, in the manner already described.l

VlVhen itis desired to retract the brake bars trom the rails pipe 37 willbe opened to the atmosphere, and then ilnid pressure will be supplied to cylinder 24' through pipe 38 to torce'the piston to the lett and restore the parts to the normal positions wherein they are shown in the drawing.

It will thus be seenA that our device renders the use of rigid foundation structure and liXed stops unnecessary because all unbalanced stressesin the operatingcylinder are applied to thebrake bars and consequently the operating cylinder may he mounted on the'ends oi the cross ties and the supporting structure need only be strong enough to support the weight of the operating mechanisni. The use of the lazy jack compensator in combination with the floating fulcrum bar and associated connections enables us to supply considerablyl more braking pressure to the brake bars than we would be able to supply .without it, using an operating motor of the same dimensions and under the same conditions and-also avoids all tendency of the operating mechanism to shift in a direction parallel to the track.

Although we have shown and described only o ne form of apparatus embodying our invention7 it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope ot the appended claims wit-hout departing 'from the spirit and scope oi the invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

l. in railway braking apparatus, the combination with a section ot' railway track, ot a motor device supported on the ties, a plurality of brake bars carried by the ties, and link mechanism connected etwcen said brake bars and said inotor device ior 'operating the brake bars by the motor device without stress between the motor device and the ties.Y

2. In r ilway braking apparatus, the combination with the railway ties, of a plurality of brake bars supported thereon, a pair ot driving bars for actuating said brake bars, a motor device operatively connected to said driving` bars, and a lazy jack compensator connecting said driving bars.

3. In railway braking apparatus, a plurality of oppositely disposed brake bars, a plurality of driving bars for said brake bars, a motor device for actuating said driving bars, and a lazy jack compensator connecting the adjacent ends of .said driving bars.

' 4r. Inv railway braking apparatus the combination with a section ot railway track, of a plurality ot movable brake bars mounted thereon, a stationary fulcrum bar mount- Ved adjacent to the track rails and having a plurality of bell cranks pivotally mounted. thereon, a plurality ot movable driving bars secured to said bell cranks, a motor device including mechanical means tor operating said driving bars, and means including a lazy jack compensator tor transferring the entire operating thrust of the motor device to the brake bars.

5. A railway track brake apparatus comprising a plurality ot oppositely disposed brake bars movably mounted adjacent to the track rails, a pair of driving bars connected to said brake bars, operating means 'for said brake bars including a piston and a cylinder, the cylinder being connected to one ot' said driving bars and the piston to the other, and mechanical means connected between the driving bars tor transmitting the thrust from both the live end and the dead end oil said cylinder to the brake bars. y

6. A railway track brake apparatus comprising, a. railway track section a plurality of oppositely disposed brake bars mounted adjacent to the track rails, operating means for the brake bars including a cylinder and a piston, two driving bars each having an operating lever, one lever being connected to the cylinder and the other to the piston, a floating fulerum bar pivotally connected between the operatinol levers of the driving bars, and mechanical means connected to the driving bars for transmitting the entire operating thrust of the cylinder and piston to the brake bars.

7. A railway track brake apparatus comprising, a section of railway track, brake bars movably mounted on opposite sides of each rail, a motor device, and link and lever mechanism for moving said bars without creating stress between the motor device and its support.

8. A railway track brake apparatus comprising, a section ot railwayl track, a plurality of oppositely disposed brake bars movably mounted adjacent to the track rails, a fulcrum bar secured to thetrack and carrying a plurality of pivot-ally mounted bell cranks, two driving bars pivotally mounted on said bell cranks, a motor device for operating said driving bars and va lazy jack loosely connected to one end ot each ot said driving bars and to the :tulcrum bar for transmitting the operating thrust of the motor device to the brake bars.

9. A railway track brake apparatus comprising, a section oi' railway track, a plurality of oppositely disposed brakey bars movably mounted adjacent to the track rails, two driving bars pivotally mounted, in operative relation to the brake bars, a motor device comprising a cylinder and a piston, a lever connected to each of said driving bars one lever also being` connected to the cylinder and the other to the piston, a ioating ulcrum bar pivotally connected with each of said lovers and a lazy jack pivotally connected to each ot' said driving bars for transmitting the action and re-action ci the motor device to the brake bars.

10. A railway track brake apparatus comprising, a plurality of oppositely disposed brake bars, driving bars connected. to said brake bars, a single pneumatic cylinder having a. piston therein, a pivoted link connecting the cylinder and one driving bar, a pivoted link connecting the piston and another driving bar, and means loosely mounted between said pivoted links for adjusting the throw of said brake bars. V

11. A railway track brake apparatus comprising, a plurality of oppositely movable brake bars, means for actuating said bars, and mechanical means for transmitting the entire thrust of the actuating means to the brake bars without creating stress between said actuating means and its support.

12. A railway track brake apparatus com-- infising,` a plurality of oppositely movable brake bars, a pair of driving bars connected to said brake bars, operating means for said driving bars including` a single cylinder and a piston, the cylinder being connected to one driving bar and the piston to the other, and means connected to the driving kbars for transmitting the action oi the piston to the brake bars moving in one direction and the reaction oi the cylinder to the brake bars moving in the other direction.

13. In railway track brake apparatus, the combination with a plurality of movable brake bars, and a motor for actuating them, of a floating fulcrum bar and a lazy jack compensator connected between the motor and the brake bars for transmitting the operating thrust of the motor to the brake bars. K 14. In railway braking apparatus the combination with a plurality of movable brake bars and means for actuating them, of means including alazy jack'for transmitting the entire operating thrust of the actuating means to the brake bars.

15. A railway track brake apparatus comprising two brake bars located on opposite sides of a track rail, two movable driving-l bars each connected with both said brake bars, a motor device comprising va cylinder and piston, and mechanical means connecting said cylinder with one driving bar and connecting said piston with the other driving barin such manner that operation of the motor device urges both said brake bars toward the associated track rail.

16. A railway track brake apparatus comprising two brake bars located on opposite sides oi' a track rail, two driving bars each having an operating lever, a motor device comprising a cylinder connected with one operating lever and a piston connected, with the other operating lever, a floating tulcrum bar connecting said operating levers, and means for connecting each driving bar with both brake bars in such manner that actuation of the driving bars by the motor device moves both brake bars toward the associated rail. v

In testimony whereof we affix our signa- 

